Fragments of a Dream
by Krysta no Himitsu
Summary: Two years have passed since Neku's time in the UG. But strange things start to unravel around Neku, and he soon has to make a decision: Go back into the UG with three partners instead of one, or face the destruction of Shibuya. With everything that happens, it's hard for Neku to be himself, thus resulting in extreme conflict. -DOWN FOR RECONSTRUCTION-
1. Encountered

**A/N:** _I have rewritten/extended the chapters of this fanfic... There are scenes from the first edition kept in this one, which is why I didn't delete the fanfic. The most I did was 'add on' to the chapters. I didn't really... change _much_, so I saw no reason to remove this fanfic entirely._

_**The first four chapters have NOT been changed or had any additoinal scenes. Chapter 4 has been extended by adding on the short scenes in chapter 5, and chapter 5 is supposedly a filler chapter, or more like a "I'm trying to get everything explained here" chapter. By chapter 6 (the recent update) I won't be halfing the action anymore. Since I wrote Tacet Syncopation, I'm understanding plot structure a lot better (that being said, "Tacet" is my favorite fanfiction to write for), and looking at this, I'm just displeased. I've been tempted to delete it, but thanks to your reviews, I held on.**_

_First and foremost, thank you to all my loyal readers and reviewers. Since "Blaze in the Labyrinth", which had 95 reviews in the Blue Dragon (Game) archive (under 250 fanfics at the time when BitL was uploaded), this has been my most reviewed and faved/alert fanfic. 41 reviews may not seem a lot to others who have like... 100 reviews for a fanfic, but for me, I was never able to reach triple digits. But the pace that this is going at, I'm hoping I'll be able to reach at least 100. "Blaze in the Labyrinth" came close, but I had deleted it due private reasons. This one, Fragments of a Dream is staying._

_Once again, thank you to those who are _still _reviewing despite my long hiatus for this fanfic. I truly appreciate it and no words can describe how grateful I am._

_Disclaimer: I do not own The World Ends With You._

~.~.~.

**Fragments of a Dream  
****01: Encounter**

The red, liquid bead travelled from the tip of his index finger down to his wrist in a fast, yet steady course.

Neku cursed under his breath, reaching for the nearby paper towels on the adjacent table. He was really not in shape with his artwork lately. When it came to painting (his favorite form of art), the strokes were always shaky or curved in a direction he didn't want them too. Or, in the worst case, he would soak up too much paint into the brush and the spot where he applied color would either look too chunky, or it would run into another section. The shading in his portraits and still life were always out of proportion; it barely popped out anymore. And cutting boards? Well... Looking back on how he achieved the new cut, Neku could literally write a book about how lovely his latest experiences with the linoleum board have been.

The seventeen year old heaved a sigh, narrowing his eyes at the would-be 3D cut out. His arms were decorated with long scratches and scrapes from the sharpened wood of yesterday, and even today. Paper towels had been piled high in the bin, the majority stained sanguine from blood.

And after shooting another glance at the trash, Neku gave up. He left everything in its place and left his "studio" (the attic, to be precise), placing his headphones back on and closing up for the day.

Over the years, Neku had grown taller, and his hair darkened to a closer shade of red rather orange. He was still slim like he was at the age of fifteen, and his build didn't increase much, but he was still the same Neku from two years ago. Most of his time nowadays was hanging out with his friends, participating in school, and working on his artwork. Neku never pushed his talent, but when it came to birthdays or celebrations, he worked hard, and usually all night. But as time grew on, he began to let his mind wander, losing concentration in more than just his work. And though he did spend a good amount of time with them, Neku was starting to subconsciously build a wall between him and the others; this stirred up worry and tension in their little group.

But, when Neku _was_ with Shiki, Beat, Eri, and Rhyme, he was always looking off into space. Sometimes they would ask a question, and he wouldn't respond, thus forcing them to shout his name twice just to get his attention. Usually the questions came next ("Neku, are you okay?") ("Yo, Phones! You alright, man? Come on, yo; step it up."), and it didn't matter who asked him, Neku pushed them aside with an, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking." And that, would bring on the reactions ("Oh, okay...") ("Well then stop thinkin', yo! You have school for that, aight!").

_Beep!_

The redhead narrowed his eyes, one hand wrapped around his white music player while the other rooted in his pocket for the phone. Silently, he read the text message: "_Meet up at the Ramen Don. ~ Shiki_". Neku exhaled slowly, stuffing the phone back in his pockets, making a silent note of how Shiki's message was devoid of emoticons. This usually implied that she was upset or just sending the damn text just because – like a homework assignment; she didn't want to, but she did it anyway.

As Neku left the house, taking only his phone and music player, he couldn't help feeling a bit dejected. Shiki was his best friend, and ever since he gradually quieted down, there seemed to be some new tension and unease between him and Shiki. They didn't talk much, and though Shiki had begged him to tell her what was wrong, Neku just continued to push her away until she stopped asking. But that didn't stop her from sending worried glances in his direction. At one point, Neku actually grew annoyed with the scrutinizing. When Beat had threatened to pummel the answer out of him, Neku admitted his irritation with Shiki, and how he was _fine_, and the only thing that made him stressed were Shiki's questions.

Now Beat wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, but Neku had to give him credit for something: The guy could be a good listener if caught at the right time. He tried offering advice to the redhead, but it just fell apart and all Neku could get out was one thing: She's worried about you.

No...

It was true there was a wall building between him and the others, spreading out and plaguing the group further, but there was really (truly) only one reason why Neku was truly alone...

~.~.~.

"Neku, _please _eat..." Shiki muttered, putting aside her chopsticks to look at her dear friend. Mr. Mew leaned against her left thigh, and subconsciously, Shiki gave his little arm a tight squeeze, as if the homemade stuff animal knew the answer. When she received no response save for a small glance, she sighed and shifted in her stool, adjusting her glasses. "I wish you'd tell me what's wrong..." she whispered, averting her gaze back to her food. Though the miso ramen was rich in flavor, she tasted nothing due to the numbness within.

Beat, happening to witness this scenario, narrowed his eyes and pushed himself out of his seat. He took a seat on Neku's right, demanding, "Aight, Phones, we all wanna know what's goin' on! And none of this little 'I'm fine' crap!" The blonde haired boy seemed insensible to his sister's tap on the arm.

With all eyes on him, it was harder for Neku to worm his way out of the question. He gave in with a sigh. "I'm... I'll tell you guys later, alright?" Only concern and wariness veiled the eyes that locked onto him, forcing Neku to add, "I'm serious. I won't lie, and I won't run away."

Shiki nodded slowly while Beat gave one last look before getting up and moving to his original seat. Rhyme seemed to have the most understanding out of all of them, which was to say, quite ironic since she was the youngest at the age of fourteen. But Neku shook it off; what did Rhyme know anyway? She hardly knew him, and he hardly knew her.

~.~.~.

They were leaving the restaurant when it all started from there.

It was extremely hot, and Neku was immediately regretting his current attire: That usual purple and black shirt with the oversized collar and the white, knee-length shorts. Sweat gathered on his forehead and his upper lip, and every time he moved it felt _disgusting_. His clothes clung tightly to his frame, outlining his profile like a skintight suit. The headphones weren't the greatest idea either... But hey, he never left home without them. Brushing a few red tresses out of his face, he turned away from his friends and stared at the buildings a street over.

A force nudged him and Neku bit down a scowl, knowing it was Beat growing impatient yet again. He looked over his shoulder at the three, all staring at him with impatience and cautious care. He had no choice.

Twisting so that his back was facing the street, Neku began with the long awaited response. "I've just been thinking a lot about the UG. The time we spent there, the people we met, the Reapers, and even some of the missions... And it's been two years, and there have been no changes."

Shiki gave him a perplexed look. "Neku, things aren't going to change every day like it did in the UG. I mean we're back in real life, so we're in the same routine again..."

Neku shook his head, averting his gaze. "That's not what I meant..." he responded quietly, and the others had to strain their ears to hear. "After our first week back in the RG, I always felt as if I was being watched. Just not in a bad way... I felt as if I someone was looking out for me, and it was... _safe_. I felt as if no one could harm me, and when I was with you guys, that feeling got stronger. Since these two years, I haven't felt that same presences. It makes me..." Neku huffed, clenching his hand into a tight fist, nails biting crescents into his palm. "_Angry_. I don't know how something can just be there for so long, and _disappear_. And it wasn't anything that disappeared over time. It was there, and then gone..."

Silence took part for about a minute, broken only when Shiki spoke up.

"Odd..." she mumbled, clutching Mr. Mew closer to her chest. "I... It's kinda odd, I mean... Not you, Neku, just how it disappeared all of a sudden."

Beat's reaction was somewhat different: "That's messed up, yo..."

If it weren't for the after feeling of the event, Neku would've given Beat a snarky comment, but something else caught his attention from the corner of the eye.

The buildings across the street stood high and tall as usual, but down below in the crowd, people rushed back and forth, talking idly with friends, complaining about the heat, or using their forearm as a sun blocker to their eyes. It was always back and forth; no one came their way and those who did want to get on their side took the crosswalk. But there was one person who stood out in the crowd. They didn't move an inch, they didn't draw attention, and they were alone, standing there and watching.

Platinum-toned, curly locks framed the sides of their face, deep purple irises, a tall yet slim body adorned with a light blue button-up shirt and black pants. Hands at their side, one grasping an orange, mobile phone, and the expression on their face was calm, but the eyes spoke of something more.

"_Neku_..." Joshua mouthed his Proxy's name, slowly, deliberately... Tasting it.

The redhead's eyes widened, pupils dilated from shock and just disbelief. Because Joshua could _not _be standing there, and he could _not _be in the RG without attracting attention, Composer of Shibuya or not. There was something seriously wrong, and without a moment's thought, Neku took off, coaxing out startled shouts from his friends (he could've sworn he felt one of their hands touch his own before he ripped away). He had torn out into the middle of the street when Shiki's voice penetrated his concentration.

"_Get out of the road, Neku! Car!_"

Everything seemed to slow down from there. Neku had looked back to meet Shiki's fear-filled eyes, Rhyme's shocked, horrified expression, and Beat's slow sprint towards him, in the middle of the freaking road. And in front of Neku was the crowd of people, some turning to look up from their business and see what Shiki was screaming about, but two things remained on the top of his list: Joshua, the boy who could've sworn he saw, was nowhere to be seen; almost as if he disappeared in the crowd. Finally, the sight of a red automobile headed right in Neku's direction.

Terror locked him in place, and Neku knew he was screwed. He was going to end up back in the UG, or worse, dead for sure – he didn't know. His mind wouldn't think fast enough.

Suddenly, a force rammed into him, pushing him onto the sidewalk with said force landing on top.

Then, things went back to normal at a regular pace. Neku could feel the bitter, coppery taste of blood in his mouth, and Beat's elbow was lodged in an uncomfortable spot in his ribs... To make matters worse, people were crowded around the two boys ("Are you alright?") ("Someone get an ambulance!") ("What the hell were you _doing _in the middle of the road?") ("Take off those damn headphones next time you go out in the streets, kid!").

Beat stood, and shooed the majority away with a loud, "We're fine!". He then turned to Neku and held out his hand. When the redhead's fingers merely _brushed _his palm, Beat scowled and yanked him up on his feet, ignoring the discomfort it caused in his shoulder and Neku's uncomfortable grunt. "What were ya thinkin', Phones?_!_ You could've gotten killed, yo! That ain't funny!" The blonde demanded, clamping his palms down on the other's shoulders. Beat's teeth were bared, but Neku knew it was just a front; he had deeply worried his friend.

"I-I'm sorry, I—" He whipped his head around as best he could; with Beat's hands on his shoulders, it was hard to do so. When his search for the boy proved fruitless, he faced Beat again. "I thought I saw something!" '_Someone_,' he mentally corrected. Trying as best he could, Neku slipped out of Beat's grasp, gazing at the ground and suddenly finding it interesting.

"Whad'ya see, Phones? That ain't smart of ya, and it ain't like ya either! What the hell is going on, man?" Beat continued to chide, arms raised as if he were preparing for a brawl.

Neku was ready to respond, but he was cut off when Shiki wrapped her arms around him from behind. "Neku, don't you _ever _do that again!" His heart sank when he realized she was trying to hold back tears. "If you don't want to tell us, just don't, okay? I'm sorry for pushing you into answering, but _please _don't do that again!" Guilt wrapped its fingers around him, and Neku returned with an awkward one-armed hug, assuring he was alright and that he was sorry. Rhyme seemed shaken up as well and Beat concluded to put his arm around her shoulder for comfort.

One last time, he gazed at the crowd of people, hoping to see the lavender-eyed boy.

Nothing.

'_Joshua, what's going on?_'


	2. Forbode

**Fragments of a Dream  
****02: Forbode**

"_I've heard all about you..."_

_A sadistic smirk..._

_Fist clenching an unseen object tightly..._

_The opposing hand clenching a gun..._

_An approach to death if nothing was done..._

_..._

_The man gave wry smile, but his eyes spoke against the would-be friendly gesture._

"_I'm flattered. Am I so likeable that even someone like __**you **__heard word of someone like me?"_

_..._

_A scowl, all marks of a friendly competition erased._

"_Enough with your games! They've told me of your foolish decision... You spared the boy. And if he had followed your request? Would you have followed through with your original plan?"_

_The gun was raised before either could make a move._

_..._

_(From the sides, another man with dark hair and glasses stiffened._

_He loosened his calm gesture and tuned into alert._

_On the defense.)_

_..._

_His smile dissolved into a frown, eyes narrowed dangerously. He aimed for a snarky remark, but all he got out was a question._

"_Who are you?"_

_..._

"_Hehe... Let's just say... The new Compo—"_

~.~.~.

Neku was in no ways suicidal, nor was he depressed, and no, he was _not _convicted of these things per say, but that didn't mean he wasn't mentally. He could tell by the looks people gave him – no, not his friends (though they _did _have their fair share); he meant actual side-people he never talked to. The idea that some idiotic seventeen year old jumped out into the street spread out fast, and soon, Neku would be the talk of Shibuya; something he _didn't _want. Unfortunately, that was life, hence he'd just pick it up and try to move on. Still, that didn't stop the irritation from bubbling up inside him when people would shoot him glances, almost afraid he'd try to jump out and get himself killed... Again.

Shiki had avoided him for a while in the beginning, but in the end, she came back to his side. She admitted to Beat (this was overheard by Neku) that she had confronted Eri about what happened and was trying to find out where to place her foot next. Eri had helped her loads, apparently... So she said, so Neku heard. As did Beat; he played the role as the listener, something (some_one_) Shiki needed after the heart-stopping incident.

The redhead sighed, shielding his eyes from the sun with a raised forearm. Shibuya's weather was getting unnaturally hot nowadays... It was getting ridiculous, and it only made Neku question things further. What was going on? It grew hotter and hotter each day, blistering to be precise, and he saw freaking _Joshua _in a crowd of people. That's not something that happens every day. Oh, and not to forget he almost got ran over by a freaking car because he was too busy staring at the Composer.

Out of all places, they were meeting up at 104.

It reminded Neku too much of the Reaper Games, and he almost called it off, lying that he wasn't feeling well after two days of coming into close contact with death for a third time. But in the end, he shrugged it off and headed out the door, waiting impatiently at the oversized building with flower-printed doors. Seriously, who came up with this stuff anyway?

Beat was unnaturally quiet, Neku noticed. He had seemed to simmer down a bit ever since Neku jumped out in the street. No matter how hard he tried to convince himself, he just couldn't tell his friends he saw Joshua. They all had the "Josh-talk" with him, sharing sympathy and avoiding the topic as much as possible since Neku told them so. There were times where it slipped through, thus triggering the questions and concern. In the end, Neku just lifted up a mental gun and shot everything down to earth.

"Ya ain't gonna jump in the road again, right, Phones?"

The voice caught him off guard and Neku almost did a double take. He averted his gaze to Beat, lips parted in preparation to respond, but he closed up and turned away. Neku couldn't spill everything here; not while it was so damn hot, not in public, and definitely not when he _knew _Shiki and the others were going to show up. In fact, the only relief he got from practically everything was the swishing of the 104 doors, the cool air blasting him full force. Sure it messed around with his hair, but so what? He was practically bathed in his own sweat, he could hardly move without feeling the sun's hot rays attack the exposed wet skin or patch of clothing.

"Look man, I don't like bein' questioned either, but ya got Shiki and us worried, yo..." The blonde ripped off his beanie and scratched his scalp, placing the black cloth right back on top when this action was finished. "We ain't gonna let ya handle it like ya did before. If it's somethin' we can help with we'll help."

Neku could tell Beat was finding this awkward just as much as he was. Neither one of them dished out much advice unless the situation was serious, and ever since the UG, things haven't been so drastic. When Neku began pushing others away, it was mostly Shiki who did the talking and sometimes Rhyme. But since the issue with the near-death experience, things grew awkward, died down, and advice was forced to be dished out again. He wouldn't be surprised if anyone was pissed off with him yet too... It _was _getting ridiculous, but Neku couldn't help it. He honestly couldn't, no matter how much he tried.

"I can handle it," Neku responded at last. "I don't need any help."

Beat let out an irritated sigh, frowning up from his spot on the ground. He looked ready to spew out an insult or something worse, but he held his tongue and slammed his eyes to the ground, a huff escaping him. All traces of irritation were erased when he caught sight of Eri, Shiki, and Rhyme (who wanted to hang around with the girls for that day, hence she walked with them rather Beat, much to her big brother's disappointment).

~.~.~.

"_Your attempts are almost laughable..." the man mused, tossing the now useless gun to his right where it landed with a clatter._

_The other grinned, his right hand still clenched. "Perhaps I underestimated your ability... But when that throne is mine, I'll have it all."_

_With a delicate air, almost, he opened his palm to reveal a small, disc-like object._

_A pin._

_Inscribed on the centre was what appeared to be a Reaper Skull, but red-inked words encircled the insignia, and behind that was a Taboo symbol._

_Sanae Hanekoma was now on full alert, expression mirroring the astonishment he held within. "What is that?" He could feel the Composer boring a questionable gaze into him, but Sanae shrugged it off, fingers now brushing against the red and blue trademark feathers he kept in a pocket._

_A laugh, an irritable one at that. "It's funny how you, the Producer, the one who actually _knows _how to utilize Taboo and draw them so accurately, has no clue what this pin is." The right corner of his mouth curved upwards, a crooked smile. "That is something for me to know... and for you two to find out."_

"_Sanae! Get that _pin_!_!"

_Joshua didn't have to tell him twice before Panthera Cantus lunged forward into a vast glowing orb or white radiance._

~.~.~.

Neku flung upright and cried out as his forehead came in contact with the underside of the table. He cursed colorfully, cradling his head in open palms, rousing everyone awake. Why the hell had he chosen to sleep _under _the freaking table?_! _There were plenty of other spots in the room, and he chooses the wooden circle held up by wooden legs. Well... He _did _want to be by himself... Unfortunately, that was the only place where he _wouldn't _come into contact with another. He didn't want to elbow someone in the face or vice versa, thank you very much.

"Ah, come on, Phones!" Beat exclaimed albeit groggily (he ignored Eri's desperate hisses to remain quiet so they didn't wake her parents). "You've been doin' that all night, yo!"

The aforementioned shook his head, muttering a single 'sorry' through the fading cloud of pain. "Just a... bad dream." Without another word, he fell back into the sleeping bag, screwing his eyes shut. But the sound of blankets rustling and sheets twisting was devoid of the room. Neku glanced over at all four of them to find their gazes locked on him. Much to his disliking. Unable to help out, he demanded, "What?"

"Um... You've been acting worse and worse, Neku." Eri grit out an 'ow' when Shiki elbowed her arm, shooting her a warning glance.

He only gapped stupidly when Rhyme chipped in as well. "We think we know what's been troubling you..."

Shiki cleared her throat. "Neku... Is it Joshua?"

Silence.

Dead, awkward silence.

Neku broke it like he would a glass by sliding out from under the table, and standing. "I need some fresh air." He commented, mouth suddenly dry as he mounted the stairs into the dark living room. There was no doubt Eri's parents were asleep, but he didn't want to create enough noise to stir them awake. All five of them had been ordered to be in bed and asleep by at least twelve-thirty, but they had decided to stay up a bit longer before trying to fall asleep. Unfortunately for Neku, he had woken up almost every half hour, sometimes waking the others.

Right now, it was three forty-five in the morning, and Neku had already tripped over the arm of the sofa on his journey out back. He slid the glass door open and let out a sigh, relishing the feel of the crisp night air against his skin. He stood there for a moment, one half outside the house the other in with his head leaning against the frame. Regaining some of his senses back, Neku pushed off and turned to close the door only to come face to face with Shiki.

Her face was like a blank slate, devoid of any written emotion or whatever else it may be. She asked at first if she could join him, and, when given the answer, she stepped outside. When the door slid back into place, Shiki turned to face him, trying to remember desperately what Eri would have said if _she _were in Shiki's position. "Neku, we know this is about Joshua... But I don't get it," she tucked a strand of brown behind her ear, accidentally bumping her glasses in the process. "It's been two years and you didn't seem fazed at all that he was gone... So why now?" She gazed at his back, which was turned from his position at the porch rail. Shiki didn't understand; why had Neku gone back to the person she saw in week one?

"I'm getting a bad feeling..." Neku responded, unmoving. "I've been having these... dreams about him. Or visions... I get them when I'm awake sometimes." His fists clenched at the thought and his eyebrows drew together. "Something's wrong... And I hate how I just... can't do anything about it. I don't know if these dreams are real or if they're just because I haven't seen Joshua in so long... But whether these events _did _take place, I know something is going on that we don't know about. Just... something bad."

A look of worry passed onto Shiki's features. She took a few steps towards him until they were adjacent. Though she hadn't meant to do it on purpose, she leaned into his arm, heart hammering slightly when she felt him stiffen. In a way, it saddened her; Neku wasn't usually this... edgy. "I believe you..." Shiki mumbled, pushing the wood chips of the rail with her delicate fingers. "I'm sure he's okay. After all, he _is _Joshua..."

The redhead let his shoulders drop, realising that maybe she _was _right; she had a point. Neku just had to have more faith in his friend. He was the freaking Composer, so of _course _he was fine. But it was at that moment when Neku discovered that he _did _need his friends, and that he _could _rely on them for support. He wrapped his right arm around Shiki, pulling her close in a manner that if he _didn't_, she would disappear.

"Thanks, Shiki..."

_What they didn't know was that all was in fact __**not **__fine in the Higher Plane..._

~.~.~.

**A/N****: **_First off, I hate my keyboard... Or, I hate my computer; one of those. Whenever I'd type, it'd just randomly freeze and when it would unfreeze, I'd have a bunch of gibberish in place. It makes me mad, but at least I managed._

_Second, I'm unsure of where Joshua resides... A friend of mine had asked me, but my guess was the Higher Plane. I would say UG, but the thing is, it just doesn't... _fit, _per say, and that man shown in the italics is definitely the reason why Joshua isn't in the UG._

_Third, I've started working on chapter three, and I hate to say this, but __**it's going to be a short chapter**__. I know, I promised long chapters, but there are some that I'm going to have to thin out..._

___Thank you to __**Snowdroplet, Cherished Tenshi, Loomena, Oz the Magician, **__and __**Do a Barrel Roll **__for the wonderful reviews. And thank you, __**corinster2 **__for the story fave, and author fave. After everything that's happened in my offline life this week, they really brightened my mood. So thank you and a special thanks to __**Cherished Tenshi **__for pointing out all those blasted typos._

_I am very sorry for the late update; it would've been quicker, but as mentioned, some things popped up and I've just been... scattered, really. I suppose the only thing I received that was related to euphoria was getting my Junior-year high school schedule, and finishing my summer reading... Oh, and talking to friends too, of course; thanks guys._

**~ Inita**


	3. Composed

**Fragments of a Dream  
03: Composed**

"Shiki, _please_..." Neku moaned exasperatedly.

The brunette bit back a giggle, knowing victory was already in her grasp. After what happened last night at Eri's, however, Shiki felt as if she shouldn't be doing this... But, Neku _did _volunteer to go shopping with her and Eri, and he had agreed (maybe inadvertently) to try on whatever they threw at him, _so_... Everyone wins! Well, except Neku, of course.

"Just _one more_, please, Neku?" Eri chimed in with an accompanying wink, twirling a reddish, pink strand of hair around her finger. "I swear we'll make up for it!"

He wasn't one to judge, but Neku had a feeling that was a promise guaranteed to be fulfilled empty. They were going to head out to another store, some place deeper in 104, and God knew what else they had in their diabolical little plans. Or... _Eri's _diabolical little plan- nah, Shiki too... Two girls and one guy, in a large mall was not a good combination, no matter what angle it was viewed at.

"Ohmigosh, hurry up, Neku! That shirt is _not _going to try on itself!" Eri muttered, leaning against her propped fist while her other hand contained her pink phone, jabbing at digits.

Neku resisted the urge to roll his eyes, turning back into the dressing room, cursing inwardly. One small damnation passed his lips cruelly as a pair of shorts were hauled over the door, landing on his head in such a humiliating way. Scowling, he gripped the denim fabric, feeling the dull button bite into his flesh as he did so. He tossed it onto the bench along with his shoes.

'_I'm _never _going to let myself get guilt into shopping... _Again.

~.~.~.

Rhyme was a precocious child from birth. There was something special about her, so unique; it was as if she understood _everything _that took place around her. Their parents could be arguing about something and she would immediately latch on to what it was. Half the time, she always had a solution.

Beat had to admit, he was quite envious of her.

No one treated him the same way they treated Rhyme; he felt under loved. His mother would nag him about his poor grades, and his father would chide him for not listening to his mother and for basically doing whatever the hell he wanted to. Beat would usually let them rant and rave, but sometimes he'd fight back in defense, claiming it's his life, so 'I get to do whatever the hell I want with it!'.

Usually, the argument would end there, or it would progress into something worse such as restriction.

But Rhyme could never do any wrong. Oh no, she was their perfect little angel.

There were times where Beat would let it get the best of him, and he'd push Rhyme away when she tried to talk to him.

He regretted it instantly half the time.

His sister was (is) the only one who understood him. She had his back, and he had hers. There were times where he wondered what the hell possessed him to block her out and just sulk in the corner. Rhyme would listen because she cared about everyone – especially Beat. She saw something in him no one else could, or bothered to search for. Beat was beyond grateful for that, and he wished he could return the favor day in and day out. The most he could do was protect her, but even that had its limits.

"Hey, Beat?" Rhyme's voice cut through his train of thought and he looked up, giving an affirmative noise to notify he was listening. "You think this would look alright on Neku?"

And here, she brought up the most embarrassing thing a guy could wear: A lace bonnet.

Beat instantly felt pity towards his best friend; it literally bubbled in his stomach.

Apparently, Eri wanted to see if Rhyme had any ideas for their new trends (in other words, she wanted to see what Rhyme would think look good on Neku), so the younger girl was flitting through racks upon racks, pulling out clothing on hangers or pants from shelves, hats from hooks... Name it, and Rhyme would find it.

"I dunno, yo... Phones is kinda... down with it, ya know? He'll go mad." Beat responded truthfully, hoping to save Neku from trying on that... _horrible _headgear. Because if he didn't, he'd get an earful from Neku himself about how he 'should've done something to stop them'. Because for some reason, that was one of Beat's abilities. "How 'bout ya go look at somethin' else?"

God, Neku owed him big time.

~.~.~.

_The council was worse than he could ever imagine._

_For anyone else, angels would be an embodiment of hope and kindness... They were never strict or harsh, telling people (or rather the Composer himself) what a failure they are for miscalculating a move, or not being on guard... Whatever it may have been, they always appeared as the opposites. Not necessarily cruel, but they took their job seriously._

_His hands were clenched so tightly they were more pale than usual, his teeth were gnashed together, and he trembled with rage as his eyes slammed down to the opalescent floor. Platinum locks curtained the sides of his face from view, but anyone staring from the north would see the rage deep within the amethyst irises._

"_We've lost all contact with Shibuya..."_

"_We're no longer in control..."_

"_Even _our _powers can't break through the barrier..."_

"_Yoshiya Kiryu? I knew it was a mistake..."_

"_How _can _we get in? ..."_

"_It's a difficult process..."_

"_What do you think he's doing now?"_

"_With that pin? Who knows. Though Sanae—"_

_The flat of the Composer's foot collided harshly with the flat beneath him, the sound bouncing off the empty walls and filling everyone's ears with the pounding noise. The round room, devoid of anything but white and an elongated table, was ushered._

"Shut up!_!" Joshua screeched, teeth bared and eyes wild with a flame of burning anger. His fists were still clenched, so hard to the point where his nails began to draw blood on his palm. But he didn't care; a mere injury was the least of his concern and he could heal it up later anyway... If his powers were still intact._

_At first, they gapped at him, astonished to say the least._

_Yoshiya Kiryu _never _lost his cool._

_But there was only one who refused to express his astonishment, and that was the angel of the higher court. He merely glared down at the other, expression a window the disappointment within._

"_I'm sick of this! I get it: I couldn't defeat him and now I lost control of Shibuya! But he had power beyond _my _range! What did you expect?_!" _the Composer ground out, folding his arms across his chest, leaving rouge crescents on the pale blue shirt._

_The higher angel responded without hesitating, cutting off the last word of Joshua's statement. "I expected better from you. A pin should not be able to defeat someone as high ranking as you, never mind Sanae Hanekoma. Though it was to be expected with the Fallen Angel."_

_Although betrayal had lingered over Joshua when it came to Hanekoma, he couldn't help but cut the other man off before he could proceed. "Sanae at least put effort into destroying that person. He at least tried, and so did I. What about the lot of you?" When he was answered with silence, Joshua pressed on. "If you were actually concerned about Shibuya itself, why didn't you get off your high chair and come and help? You _knew _we were in danger. You knew he was an unbeatable force. And you—"_

"Enough!_"_

_Joshua obeyed, albeit bitterly. To prevent from speaking out, the Composer pinched the inside corner of his lip between his teeth._

"_The matter of the fact is none of us can fight it. You'll need a stronger team, and you can't go it alone. The man is bound to make a move soon, and he'll eventually start another game, but one of his own. It'll be one where we have no say, and where you, Yoshiya, will be unable to put force against it."_

_He frowned. "What are you saying? _I _have to participate in the game?"_

_The angel glared at him, losing patience fast. "You've entered before, have you not? I'm leaving you no choice... Go to the RG of Shibuya, track down someone you know you can rely on, and have them fight with you in whatever it is this threat throws your way. But I must warn you: It won't be easy. When you enter Real Ground, the new Composer will be notified, and he'll know of your presence. He'll do anything to try and stop you. Forces will chase you, but if you team up with a partner, you'll be able to fight them off and escape for the time begin."_

_Joshua gave a curt nod, frown never leaving his face. "Fine." He bit out, turning and walking in the opposing direction. He needed a partner, he needed to win whatever came his way._

_His powers were to be diluted, but they already were since the pin was used... Maybe he'd show up as a defenseless fifteen year old who needed to save Shibuya. Yeah, that sounded realistic alright. _Anyone _would believe that..._

_Actually..._

_There was _one person_ who Joshua knew he could rely on..._

_He halted in place, eyes gazing at something only he saw._

Yes... It was so obvious.

~.~.~.

Of course, they were forgetting one little thing...

He grinned, running calloused fingers across the pin's surface.

_A new game, new rules – let's see how Shibuya's previous Composer would handle it this time._

~.~.~.

_He found Neku Sakuraba faster than he had expected._

_Joshua had to admit: His proxy grew quite a bit over the years. Taller, that was for sure (damn him), and his hair seemed a deeper shade. But despite the physical appearance, the Composer knew he was upset. He could see it in his eyes, and the fact Joshua was unable to control Shibuya for two years, thus rendering in absolutely _zero contact _with Neku was sure to be a downer, and a disappointment. If Neku saw him, he'd probably punch him in the face or just rant about how "bad a person he is" or whatever it may be._

_The four (Neku, Beat, Shiki, and Rhyme) were all standing outside the Ramen Don, and he, Joshua, was on the other side of the street, eyes alert and lips parted. He fumbled with the orange phone in his right hand, the stupid device slipping from his fingers due to perspiration from the sudden intense heat. Whatever the new Composer was doing, he certainly liked keeping the temperature above warm, that was for sure..._

_One thing he didn't like about the physical form he kept now?_

_He had the same tolerance to the weather just about as anyone else._

_In his true form, it was nothing; a simple breeze, a simple issue with a flick of the wrist – it was gone. Not here though; not for a _long _time, actually._

_His gaze lingered on Neku, and he felt his stomach flip when the redhead caught sight, freezing in place while his other friends displayed their discomfort of the situation._

_A sudden need to smirk permeated his mind, but Joshua bit it back, deciding not to speak, not to shout, but to mouth the Proxy's name._

_Neku's reaction was to be expected, but _not _the 'darting-out-in-the-street' part._

_Joshua stiffened and took a small step forward when Shiki screamed out a warning, Beat rushing forward to save his friend from the fast-approaching automobile, tires screeching desperately on the pavement when the driver took in Neku._

_Fortunately, Beat had made it in time, pushing Neku onto the sidewalk while the car straightened itself out and screamed off into the distance at a high speed._

_Something akin to guilt overwhelmed Joshua, but he pushed it down. Neku was safe, and that was all that mattered to him. Now that they saw each other, it was his turn to move the next piece: Show himself first, and then offer up his request. Next would be to dodge whatever Neku threw at him, and then get down to business from there. Oh yeah, real simple._

_He only moved ever so slightly when something (some_one_) yanked him back, harshly._

_Joshua winced and shot a glare over his shoulder, only for it to melt into a look of disbelief._

"_Didn't think I'd see ya again, zero... How about I show you around?"_

_And before he knew it, Joshua was being dragged off, his powers completely diminished, thus leaving him defenseless._

~.~.~.

He had been asked to get his head checked up.

Yes, quite literally.

Neku hadn't jumped out in front of a car since that one day – what did these people want? An interview on the 104 building about how he saw his friend and wasn't thinking so he darted out like an idiot? How he wanted to walk over and punch said friend in the side of the face for ditching him for two years in a row? Wait, what—

The brush halted halfway on its course.

Joshua was _not _his friend... Okay, he was, but not the same. Not after what happened and then just walking out of his life as if he were leaving a store or some bull like that. To make matters worse, that feeling that someone was looking out for him had vanished too. Double years, to be honest, and Neku had a strong feeling it was Joshua. Maybe not the Composer himself, but something conjured up by him. Who freaking knew?

He scowled and placed both fists on the ledge of the easel, the elongated end of aforementioned paintbrush sticking out betwixt his index and middle finger while the front – the actual brush-part – was smeared into the wooden surface, bristles splayed out in different directions, coloring not just the ledge but a part of his fingers as well.

Art block sucked.

Neku blamed it mostly on the shopping trip with Eri and Shiki... Yeah, dressing him up in a halter top was _not _his idea of fun... Maybe they got a laugh out of it (as did Beat because it was obvious the guy was trying to conceal his snorts by grasping his mouth), but _he _certainly didn't... And Joshua would've too if he was there... He'd probably take a few pictures with that God damn phone—

"Argh, _dammit_! Stop _thinking _about him!" Neku yelled, throwing his brush into the paint container before gripping red hair tightly, eyes screwed shut.

It wasn't _fair_! Joshua wasn't even _here _and yet he was _still _tormenting Neku! How the freaking hell was that even possible?_! _Abnormal!

A loud clap of thunder sounded and Neku's eyes flew open. He rushed over to the window and sure enough, a downpour had began, droplets slamming loudly against the pavement and roof of the houses; letting itself be known to those who didn't hear.

"Now it's _raining_?" he muttered, leaning his forehead against the round glass, metal winding biting into his forehead. Neku placed a hand upon the window, taking immediate note of how _freezing _it was. It stung his skin, but that didn't stop him from moving. Fog from the warmth of his palm materialized beneath his hand and a bitter taste erupted in the confines of his mouth.

_So you make it hot all freaking day, and then you change it to below freezing_? _What the hell do you want from—_

Neku clipped the wings of his musings when he noticed something moving along the sidewalk, ducking into the alley between two tall buildings across the street. The figure was small from his view in the attic, and when it went in, it didn't come out.

Perhaps someone needed help.

Without another thought, he turned and rushed down the stairs, not bothering to clean up the mess of papers (wasted ideas) that littered the floor, or the paint tubes that were missing caps (he'll find those later), or even the pile of charcoal sticks in the corner of his proclaimed studio. Right now, those were the least of his worries, and if the thing that snuck in the alley turned out to be nothing, he would just walk back in and go back to suffering from art block. Yup, that was his plan.

The living room was empty; his mother was out still at work, so he was home alone. He would have enough time to go out, check what it was, and then head back in before she got back.

He threw on the gray sweatshirt waiting for him on the brass hanger, and he plunged out into the rain, hissing as the icy drops touched his skin. The smell of the weather immediately invaded his nose, blocking out everything else even when he was adjacent to the garbage can in the alleyway.

There was no sign of the figure, and after looking around, deeper, Neku mentally shrugged and turned, walking away.

A sudden cry escaped his mouth when he felt something grasp his ankle and pull him to the ground. His teeth slammed down on his tongue when chin met pavement, and he forced back the moan of discomfort and pain.

Neku whipped around and reeled back his other foot, preparing to kick only to take in a sharp breath at his assaulter.

"_J-Joshua?_!" he shouted over the thunder, ignoring the metallic taste that now invaded his mouth, mixing in with the smell of rain.

He had expected a snarky remark, or maybe a giggle... But when Joshua only gave a weak nod, eyes hardened and mouth a tight line, Neku knew something was wrong.

"Come on..." He grabbed the hand Joshua used to pull his ankle and stood-

-only to halt when the other let out a noise of discomfort.

The redhead knelt back down, feeling the water soak into his jeans and moved closer to Joshua, eyes narrowed in concern and curiosity. It did not take him long to find out what was making Joshua protest...

A dark blotch had blossomed on the Composer's pale blue shirt, and there were bruises along his alabaster skin.

Neku was almost afraid to move him, but he had no choice. "Josh... How the- You're _hurt!_!" Okay, that marked the most stupidest thing he's ever said to a boy who had a possible injury bigger than his fist in his gut, but still, Joshua didn't _have _to rub it in.

"Wow, you're _really _observant today, Neku," he praised, sarcasm laced tightly in his tone, a flicker of his personal amusement making itself known in his eyes.

If it weren't for the condition Joshua was in, Neku would've slapped him or at least punch him in the arm... Even a spiteful comment (and he had _plenty _of those on his hands) was held back due to Joshua's current state. Instead, Neku picked him off up the ground, helping him stand and carried on, regardless of the hissed pain Joshua let out.

"Let's go, Josh," He pressed, taking a harder step forward and feeling guilt bloom inside at the sound of his friend's cry. "The sooner we get you in, the better."

~.~.~.

Neku collapsed into one of the dining room's mahogany chairs, exhausted. The rain had only fueled his fatigue from carrying Joshua back to his house, and on top of that, he _still _had to get the disinfectant and check on the seriousness of the injury. He just needed at least _one _minute... Joshua was lying on the couch, and- Ah, screw it.

Despite the way his muscles protested, Neku hurled himself up and went into the bathroom, tearing open the stubborn cabinet door and grabbing the brown bottle accompanied by about three towels because yes, Joshua would need it. He was halfway out the room when he remembered to grab the roll of gauze.

He made a mental note to call Shiki as soon as he started tending to Joshua.

Neku knew _nothing _about medical care, and he wasn't sure if Shiki did either... But who knew? The girl had many talents, so why not try?

The first aid supplies were placed carefully on the living room's glass coffee table, and he unfolded one of the towels, getting Joshua to sit up so he could place it underneath for the time being. His mother was bound to find out the other boy was in their house, but still, that didn't mean Neku didn't' want her to see the sanguine stain on the sofa.

He grabbed his cell phone and dialed Shiki, staring at Joshua while the buzz rang in his ear.

Joshua looked weak, almost; more than Neku had ever seen him. Worse than the time they almost lost to Beat when the guy decided to become a Reaper. His eyes were closed and his chest rose and fell with weak intakes of breath. His right arm was lying atop the wound, and Neku moved it as soon as he took notice, and the left was hanging limply from the couch, fingers brushing the rug.

"_Hello?_"

_Oh, thank you God_. "Shiki?" Neku responded, glad his voice remained calm.

"_Neku_?" her voice took on a more serious edge. "_What's wrong_?"

He sighed, tugging at one of the front spikes of his hair. "Just... I need you to come over here; it's an emergency."

"_Sure, just tell me what it is first_." Though she had said this, Neku could hear the sound of her footsteps down the stairs of her house, and a small smile made itself known on his face.

"An accident. I can't really explain, but do you know anything about medical treatment or first aid?"

Silence.

"_Neku, are you _hurt_?_" Damn, that was the wrong way to go... Now her voice was hiked and worried, panic beginning to slow her way out the door.

He chewed on his lower lip, not wanting to have to explain everything at once. It would surely halt her actions and who knows what would happen after that. "I'm alright, Shiki, but what should I do if someone has a stomach wound? I mean, gnash, not cramping or anything like that."

"_...You... Do you have any peroxide or bandages?"_

Neku nodded, but was instantly hit with the realization she couldn't see him. So he muttered, "Yes."

"_Okay. You're going to need to clean out the wound first, and then wrap it up, but it all depends on how deep it is. If it's serious, whatever _it _is, then you may have to go to the hospital... Just wait a bit longer; I'll be there soon and I'm going to try and call Eri. She knows a bit more about first aid than I do. Bye._"

The click on the other line confirmed she had hung up.

And he had business to attend to.

He turned to Josh who was now looking at him, unable to read his eyes.

"Neku, who was that?" Joshua finally question when his Proxy began unscrewing the white cap of the bottle.

"A friend," he responded, applying the liquid to one of the many cloths he brought out. Neku glanced over at him, and let his shoulders drop. "I need to see that injury, so..." _Good Lord, this reminded him of the time Shiki asked him to take off his pants. _"Take off your shirt."

Joshua gave him a blank stare and Neku could feel the heat rising up to his cheeks and the disinfectant almost slipped from his grasp when he realised how _wrong _that sounded. It at least seemed less perverted in his head than it did when he spoke it aloud. And to make matters _different_ form the time with Shiki, Neku _was _a guy...

Then, Joshua giggled in that infuriating way of his. "So now you want me to put on a show, hmm, dear?" Neku inwardly shuddered at that word, and his blush deepened, if _that _was even possible.

"No, I _don't _Josh," He ground out, glaring. "I'm _trying _to help you, and I don't want to be waiting on the others to get the damn job done."

The boy shrugged, sighing exasperatedly. "Whatever you say, Neku," He replied, fingers already working at the shirt buttons. "I don't blame you for trying to hide it."

Neku scowled. "For the last time, Josh, I'm not telling you to _strip _for me so I can _look _at you! I need to see how bad the wound is! Shirt off. _Now!_" Boy, would Shiki be glad to hear him now... Perhaps he _did _pick up a few things from her in the UG...

Joshua coughed up a glower of his own, "I'm trying. Do you know how hard it is to take off something when you're lying down?"

But Neku wasn't listening anymore. He was gazing at the blood-soaked markings in Joshua's stomach. They seemed almost like claw marks – from his spot, Neku could see how deep they were. And the only one he knew could actually scratch like that was... No, they erased her... She was defeated already. Besides, it could've just been some psycho with a weapon of some sort, but even _that _sounded pathetic and too surreal.

"As you can see, I ran into a few acquaintances on my way here..." Joshua stated dully, breaking the silence.

The tone (and the appearance of the claw marks) of voice Joshua used made Neku's stomach twist. Here he was, hurt, and he's making jokes about the whole situation. And what did he mean about 'acquaintances'? And hey, wait! He was still mad at the bastard for being a no-show for the past years.

Well... He could express his anger here then.

Neku's jaw clenched and he stood, turning in towards the kitchen to get a bowl of water so he could at least clean up the wet and dry blood. From the sink, he shouted, "So why are you here again?"

From his position on the couch, Joshua stiffened, grateful that Neku wasn't there to read his body language. The room suddenly grew cold and he felt the need to cover up with his recently-shed shirt. "I just... I need a favor."

Wrong words.

Neku returned and gently placed the bowl on the table, trying to push back the rage and betrayal he held towards Joshua for so long. "Are you serious? A 'favor'? What more do you want from me, Josh?"

His voice was leveled, but Joshua couldn't be fooled. He decided to start out slowly, calmly explain everything: "Listen to me, Neku—"

"No, _you _listen!" the latter snapped, glaring harshly. "I don't get you, Josh! You killed me _twice_, and after the games, I thought you were going to appear, but you _never came_. Two years ago, there was something I always felt; almost as if I was being watched, but not in a bad way. It was almost as if someone was looking out for me, someone I couldn't see. But then, after two years, it just vanished. Gone. Not a clue. And hell, Shibuya is all screwed up not with just the weather, but _people too_. They're not acting normal, so something's up. To prove this, you appear _out of nowhere_. And now you ask for a _favor_?_!_"

Joshua refused to make eye contact, staring straight ahead at the wall adjacent to the door on the right. He knew Neku was going to react this way, and it was true: The presence Neku felt around him was definitely Joshua himself... Sometimes Sanae, but it was mostly him.

"I... Shibuya isn't in my control anymore..."

Neku froze, the anger slowly dispersing, but not fast enough for him to change voice tones. "What are you _saying_?"

"Exactly what I mean," Joshua responded, turning to frown at him. "A man appeared before Sanae and I. He tried to win the role of Composer with firearms, but when that failed, he took out this pin." His eyes darkened, and Neku knew they were going into deeper waters. "He was powerful alright... Sanae had never seen anything like itbefore. It looked similar to the Player Pin just with Taboo symbols and red writing. It was... complex."

Neku listened intently now, opting to start tending to the injury while they waited for Shiki and Eri.

"He activated that pin, and I ordered Sanae to get it before he unleashed its potential." Joshua turned to face Neku, look him in the eyes and even now, Neku would _never _forget the pain that was expressed so vividly in amethyst irises.

"Neku... Hanekoma is gone."

~.~.~.

**A/N****: **_Cliffhanger! -gets pummeled by impatient readers-_

_And yay, I got some Beat-angst in! I like it..._

_And no, despite the last scene in this fanfic, there is no Josh/Neku yaoi, but Josh/Neku platonic._

_So guys, seriously, please review. I really don't care about how the review looks, and if you have any ideas, I'd be glad to hear them, so really. I won't bite, I swear._

___Thank you to __**Loomena **__and __**Do a Barrel Roll **__for the reviews._

**~ Inita**


	4. Trapped

**Fragments of a Dream  
****04: Trapped**

Neku felt trapped.

After a dreadful day of being forcefully dragged to shopping stores by Shiki and Eri, her arrives home with art block, and finds a certain Composer lying injured in the crevice between two apartment buildings. So he did what he would've with anyone else: Helped get Joshua's ass into his house, nurse him while he could until Stalker and her girl friend showed up. To make matters worse, Joshua decided to unload the fact that Sanae Hanekoma had been, without a doubt, erased. Such words laced with a soft tone should've hit with a light blow.

To Neku, it was like a ton of bricks.

He didn't know whether to punch Joshua _anywhere _it would've hurt, – because if the bastard didn't send Hanekoma to get the pin, _maybe_ – scream and yell in the agony of losing someone he _trusted _aside from his friends, or just stare there with a dumbfounded expression, gapping for at least ten seconds like a codfish.

In the end, the codfish idea sounded brilliant. Sure it sapped him of his "outer intelligence", but it was the most level-headed reaction he could get out, something that would express his shock and hurt _without _settling to violence and shrieking. Because though the bastard didn't like to show his emotions, Neku _knew _Joshua was upset, and deep down inside him, Neku didn't want to make the situation any _less _awkward than it already was. Certain actions could literally boot the "leave lever" in Joshua's mind, and the Composer would be out the door regardless of his condition. Joshua was not one for debates unless _he _was the one speaking – and winning. Neku knew this well, and trying to reason with him at a time like this would be like telling fire not to burn.

Fingers slipped along the side of the bowl when Neku went to lift it. Unfortunately, being the klutz he was, let the thing escape his grasp, falling onto the comfort with a muffled bang, contents spilling everywhere. Neku swore colorfully, rising to his feet immediately all the while avoiding looking Joshua in the eye. He hoped this action would go unnoticed, but his hopes were burnt to a cinder when the platinum-haired boy averted his gaze.

"It wasn't—"

"I _know_." Neku cut off firmly, bangs veiling blue eyes from view. Without another word, he turned, bowl in a now more-steady hand, and proceeded towards the kitchen.

He had only gotten halfway in the adjacent room when the door bell rang.

~.~.~.

"Rhyme! Could ya hurry? Before the rain starts falling at least!" Beat called from the base of the stairs, earning a sharp look from his mother who was resting- sorry, _trying _to rest on the couch before the plasma television. Of course, Daisukenojo had caught this, but he shrugged it off, swallowing down that familiar sense of loneliness and anger. Not now. No arguments today; something was wrong, and while Beat knew himself that he was not the brightest, this hunch spoke differently. Something in the gut feeling was a lot stronger than the brain; it should be followed more – known fact, from what Rhyme (or was it Neku...?) had said once before.

Rustling of feet emitted from upstairs before Rhyme appeared at the top, staring down at her brother whilst adjusting her beanie. "I'm coming!" She responded, descending all the while tying the bell pendant around her neck.

In a way, Beat was surprised she had still decided to wear that old necklace... He had asked her why she still kept it with her, and her response was, "Because it was from you". Sure Beat found that sweet and all, but he wondered if there was something more to it. And said wondering was done when his mother rose from the couch, walking over to both of them. Beat wasn't' expecting anything from her, and he was not the least bit surprised when she embraced Rhyme but not him.

But what _did _catch him off, was the hand on the shoulder gesture, something he'd expect from his father. Regardless, the only words she spoke were, "Be careful", something she _hadn't _said to Rhyme. Did she rely on him to protect his younger sister? Of course he _would_, but why the input?

However, Beat being Beat didn't linger on the subject too long, because, God forbid, thinking that over would deter his concentration – he'd _really _lose sight of Rhyme then. "I ain't gonna run out in the streets," he responded, muttered rather. "We're jus' goin' for a walk then back, aight?"

Without another word, he edged around his mother and grasped the door knob, pulling it open. "Be back soon." He then exited his warm estate out into the damp atmosphere of Shibuya. The raining had halted but only for a short amount of time, no doubt. The weather had been really screwy... Daisukenojo had lived in Shibuya his whole life; it _never _rained, or _snowed_. Maybe a few storms now and then, but not on and off like the rain they were witnessing now. He was tempted to question Neku about the climate, but he was somewhat worried as to how Neku would react... Lately, the redhead had been distant, quiet, and anything relating to Shibuya that was _beyond _man's control would change the situation from casual, to who knew what... Thus, the "Joshua-talk" would ensure, most likely.

"What's wrong with Neku again?" Rhyme asked, pulling the worn jacket closer to her petite form. She hurried forward, keeping up with her brother's much larger strides.

"I dunno..." Beat responded honestly, eyes trained forward with hands stuffed in short pockets. His knuckles pounded the lint into the base of the compartments, creating a slightly gritty and uncomfortable jumbled cushion. "I just... somethin' ain't right..."

"Mmm..." Rhyme hummed, gaze shifting to the ground. The tops of her eyes locked onto Beat, making sure so she didn't lose track of him. As their walk drew on, a sense of awkward foreboding overshadowed her; there usually wasn't this much distance between them, so what happened? Rhyme drew to a halt, sneakers scraping against the pavement.

The sound was enough for Beat to freeze and turn around, giving her a questioning look. "What's wrong?"

She didn't know whether or not to break it to him, but beating around the bush was getting them nowhere. "Beat... Are you mad at me?" she questioned gingerly, hoping to leap farther with a slower start. Regardless, Rhyme had expected the usual reaction consisting of a frown and a demand.

"Why would I be mad, yo? You ain't done nothin'.." He scratched the back of his head sheepishly, not wanting to admit anything _just yet_. "I'mma... just got a lot on me. Nothin' I can't handle, right?" Beat tried for a cheeky grin to push the reassurance deeper, but failed miserably when Rhyme remained still, face devoid of emotion and statuesque.

Beat's heart sank at this.

Ever since Rhyme's erasure and the frequent issues with Neku, they had grown farther apart. He didn't know whether to blame himself, or maybe even his friend... After all, if Neku would just accept that Prissy-Britches wasn't coming ba-

Rhyme's eyes widened and she gasped sharply. "Beat! _Behind you-!_"

The force slammed into him before he could move a muscle. His head collided painfully with the stoned ground, stars streaking across his screen of sight. It took him a while to regain his senses, but when he did, he could only stare dumbfoundly at the assaulter with mouth agape and elbows rooted to the ground, keeping him upright.

Noise.

_Tons _of Noise, to be exact.

The Grunge Wolf snarled viciously, white Tabooed tail snapping back and forth to an unheard tempo. It reared back and lunged forward, an inferno of flames roaring to life in its charge. Fortunately, it had missed for Beat recovered and rolled out of the way, closer to Rhyme so he could shield her from their enemies' hungry eyes because yes, there was practically a _pack_. His hand shot into his back pocket, searching desperately for his cell phone. When his fingers met with nothing, Beat stiffened and looked over his shoulder at both Rhyme, and the back pockets. Out of all the times he could've left his phone at _home_, it _had _to be—

"There!" his sister called, directing a finger to the device lying adjacent to the Grunge Wolf that had attacked him.

_Of course_. _Never easy..._

"Aight, fine! Rhyme, stay close!" He then sprinted towards their lifeline, the one thing that could save them in such a situation.

At the same time, the Noise charged, its plan to pin down on the of the Bito siblings. Fortunately, both saw this expected move and lunged out of the way, Beat skidding forward, Rhyme leaping back a few steps. It was at that point when Beat's fingers wrapped around the phone, selecting the first person he had on speed dial.

They picked up immediately.

"_Hello?_" Neku answered, tone somewhat strained.

Beat pushed it aside for later analysis (if he remembered, of course). "Neku? Yo man..." He glanced hastily at the slow approaching army of Grunge Wolves. "We in trouble..." However, the device nearly fled his grasp when he heard Rhyme cry out. Beat whipped around instantly, standing despite the pain that shot up his legs from his earlier dive. _Now _the phone escaped, clattering to the road with an agonizing _smack_.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Neku heard Rhyme as well, and he shouted from the other end: "_Beat, where the _hell _are you guys?!"_

Rhyme had fallen...

The Grunge Wolf leader's fans were too close to her throat...

Beat charged like a mad bull...

All the while screaming his sister's name as she stared her death in the eyes.

~.~.~.

"_Dammit_!" Neku screamed, slamming the blue communicator down _hard _on the counter. He maneuvered his way out of the kitchen and towards the door, trying to block out Shiki's questions. In the end, he was forced to answer at _one_. "Beat and Rhyme are in trouble..."

Astonishment made itself known on Shiki's face and she demanded more answers through a hiked and panicked voice, "What happened?"

He only shook his head. "I don't know, but if I don't get there now, then we'll never find out." _Then they'll be gone_, were the unspoken words. Neku had merely placed a hand on the brass knob when Joshua's voice rang out.

"Hold it, Neku," He planted his feet firmly to the ground, pulling himself into a standing position. "I'll go as well—"

"No, you can't." the redhead cut off, eyebrows knit together. "You're injured, and the last thing we need is a distraction." Neku hadn't meant to sound harsh, but it hadn't seemed to faze Joshua nor the others. It seemed that for once, they were all in the same boat. Worry and anxiety clung thickly to the air, practically blocking out any chance of hope, and it proved itself too much for Neku to take. He didn't wait for another answer and pulled open the door, charging out into the approaching storm, the steady beat of the rain drowning out Shiki calling his name.

'_First Josh shows up, and now Beat and Rhyme? Damn, what were they even _doing _outside?_' Neku wondered as his shoes pounded heavily against the ground, directing him to the Bito's house. If only they hadn't lived so far this wouldn't have been such an issue for Neku, but he prayed to anyone who was listening that he would make it in time.

He was probably a third of the way when Beat shouted that accursed nickname.

"_Phones!"_

Neku traced the source and rounded the upcoming corner only for his heart to leap into his throat.

It was a nightmare come true; they were not visible in the RG, so they should _not _be here... The army of Taboo-Noise should be invisible to anyone in the real Shibuya, even former players. And so, it was at this point in time where Neku was absolutely positive that there was something more ominous to come.

"Don't just stand there, man!" Beat called, clipping Neku's train of thought. In his arms he held Rhyme, unconscious. Hideous teeth and claw markings decorated her torso and shoulders in a dark red, blood – lots of it. In a way, her condition could've been considered as bad as Joshua's; perhaps even worse. Beat did not have the same injuries as his sister, but rather a darkened, singed burn branded atop the side of his calf. How he was still standing strong carrying Rhyme Neku did not know, but he didn't have time to do the math and find out.

Though he knew he was going to get an earful of it from Beat later, Neku hurried over to Beat, grasped his forearm and tugged, feet set in case he had to _forcefully _drag his friend away from his pride. "_Run_, _now_!"

"I've tried that, yo! They jus' keep comin'! It ain't fair!" Regardless of his response, Beat broke into a run behind Neku, pushing aside the pain that lanced up his leg.

Neku cursed himself inwardly for the useless pins clenched tightly to his right palm. And he let a string of swears loose when about two of the Noise blocked their only escape.

They were trapped, and in more ways than one.

At the back was an army of hungry Noise, and the front – they're escape – was guarded by two more. If Neku were in the UG, he could've taken both alongside Beat, but they weren't, so the only option they had was to just remain immobile, hope they would loosen their stand so they could charge between.

Crossroads were never Neku's favorite place to fight Noise anyway...

"See what I mean?" Beat exclaimed rather loudly.

Neku winced at the volume but said nothing. His mind was currently running laps in his head, desperately searching for a plan. If they ran, they would get attacked and possibly killed. If they fought back, they would get killed and living was out of the options. He brought his hand to his face, fingers lifting to reveal the flame pin Shiki had given him – or, rather, the same kind, just obtained through a different source. Neku had a bad habit of dropping pins in battle, but when you were being chased by a Noise thrice the size of your height, it was kinda hard _not _to lose a few...

Unfortunately, the Grunge Wolf on the right, the one blocking "freedom" grew impatient. Its hackles rose and it lunged towards Neku, who retaliated by bringing his arms up in a weak block.

The impact never came, but rather the sound of a collision involving the Noise and a much larger force. When its partner seemed to react, redying into a stance, a boom box fell, crushing the Grunge Wolf for all it was worth.

_A truck_... Neku realised belatedly, said vehicle implanted atop the now-vanishing monster. '_How the hell-?_'

"Bwaaah! How the-?! What the-?!"

Joshua grimaced, falling to one knee, orange phone pinned between hand and kneecap. Platinum locks veiled his eyes from view, and though they were pretty far apart, Neku could see he was visibly shaking.

He instantly felt a mixture of relief and anger. "_Joshua! _What are you doing?!"

The boy responded by locking his gaze on the redhead, face devoid of any feeling, but eyes wild with an ugly mix of fatigue and ferocity. "Your generosity is crushing, Neku," he responded, struggling to stand on two feet. "You see, most human beings like to say two words. They're called 'thank you'; not that hard, is it?"

Neku's fist tightened when Joshua stood adjacent, ghost of that smug smirk playing on his lips. His teeth gritted, but there was really no time for arguing at this point. So he settled for a quick question: "Why are you here?"

"Watching your behind, partner," he giggled, typing in a few digits on his phone, eyes lingering on the army of Noise.

Beat had decided this was a good time to cut in. "Yo! Why the hell is Prissy-Britches here?"

Though the question had been for Neku, it was Joshua who responded. "I see you still can't say my name properly, Daisukenojo-" ("Hey! Don't use my full name!") "It's a shame, really..." He scowled at his phone. "There it goes again... Works one minute then dies out the next..." Before anyone could question, Joshua snapped is phone shut and jerked his head in the direction of the exit. "Go, now; before two more decide to block the way."

Neku scowled, latching onto Joshua's forearm. "You're coming too, and you're going to _stay put_ until you're better, got it?"

The Composer frowned at this, opened his mouth to respond, but instead, everyone's head snapped in the direction of a much deeper voice.

"Very impressive, zero... I should've known these types of Noise wouldn't be able to wipe out you hectopascals..." Sho smirked, now standing in front of their only escape.

All three boys expressed their surprise, but it was only Joshua who recovered the quickest.

"...I should've erased you." He spoke quietly, deadly, almost, as he ripped his arm out of Neku's grasp, staring hardly.

"But you didn't, did ya?" The man jeered, eyes wide with an undying grudge. "So zetta slow..." He laughed, swiping at a small pin that protruded out of his jacket. Or rather, whatever was _left _since the converting to his Taboo form.

Neku suddenly felt cold and it _nothing _to do with the weather. "What's that? A pin?" _Was that the one that erased Mr. H? _But the question was how Pi-face got his hands on it, and if it really _was _the right pin... He opted to voice his thoughts but ultimately bit down when he noticed Joshua playing around with his phone. He was going to attack Sho? Was he _that _crazy? If it were just the fanatic by himself then it would be a walk in the park, but with the Noise? And two allies who couldn't do anything to assist?

It was as simple as tossing in the towel, giving up.

"Good eyes, raiden..." Sho responded, albeit quietly for once. His grin was sinister, borderline evil and mad. All it took was a simple flip of that small disc-like object...

...and Joshua warped them.

~.~.~.

_It was a new game, wasn't it?_

_Joshua hated his human form sometimes... Limited powers, but topped with the previous dilution of said abilities left him almost helpless. He'd try to conjure a few objects with his phone, but to no avail save for once or twice. It was already bad enough the RG had such restrictions... He knew the Angels were enraged with him, angry that he'd let Shibuya slip from his grasp so easily. They held no remorse for Sanae's erasure, but that was to be expected. It was clear as day that both Producer and Composer were on the Higher Up's list of "pests"._

_... He needed a partner._

_..._

_Another game, another game..._

_Neku was going to be horrified, angry, hurt..._

_But sometimes, Joshua had to push down emotions. He did that all the time when consulting with Shibuya, fixing they're issues or just tuning in to the daily hum of the city._

_He just had to do it again._

..._And so would Neku._

~.~.~.

"Where's Eri?"

"Tending to Josh..." was Shiki's response, soon followed by silence.

Neku folded his arms across his chest, at a loss for words. He tried to change the subject, "And Rhyme?"

"Beat's with her," she clenched the glass of water tightly, leaving fingerprints along its surface. Shiki made way to the window over the sink, Mr. Mew clutched tightly in her right hand. "So... Sho is back, and there are Noise in the RG?" She waited for an answer but was only met with the awkward atmosphere. "If Joshua isn't Shibuya's Composer, then who is? And why is he here?"

"...I don't know."

And that was the truth.

But with the Taboo Noise and Sho, awkward weather and everyone's behavior, it only spoke of an omen.

~.~.~.

"_We don't have much longer..."_

_"... I know."_

_"And the boy? He tricked them, did he not?"_

_"Who?"_

_"... The game our 'Composer' created... requires a _portal_. Though he no longer has his abilities, Kiryu is still unable to leave Shibuya unless he has one foot in this world. He took something special from one of his allies, enabling him to leave Shibuya. That is his entry fee."_

_"No. Kiryu has not yet handed over his entry fee. He does not have to. Yet."_

_"Oh? So you mean our master decided to spice things up, huh?"_

_"Yes. In due time, my friend. Have patience... The day is drawing to an end, dawn is approaching; one step closer to the test."_

~.~.~.

Neku fumbled with the shopping bags, inwardly cursing himself for agreeing to this.

It was necessary to go purchase new attires and outfits...

Better armor. Yeah...

Inwardly, the redhead wished that he had decided to stay back with Beat and look after Rhyme and Joshua. But of course, the older Bito sibling as well as a certain puce-colored-haired girl beat him to the gun, hence he was stuck with Shiki, bouncing from Lapin Angelique to Natural Puppy, and even the expensive Pegaso. Neku was just curious (and worried) as to how Shiki had gotten her hands on so much yen. Last time he checked, they could barely afford anything at Tigre Punk... Then again, their brands were pretty expensive too... and not even that attractive- ugh, wait, _what_?! '_Dammit, Shiki, you're rubbing off on me_...'

"So there are Noise around..." Shiki muttered quietly, more to herself than Neku as she grasped tighter to Mr. Mew subconsciously. She hoped they could be able to use their psychs... That was the only reason she had brought along the stuffed cat.

Neku hadn't bothered to respond, opting to lower his head into that enormous color of his. He didn't want to talk about anything relating to the Noise or Sho for that matter... Hell, he didn't even want to talk about Joshua. The whole ordeal gave him a headache just thinking about it; and really, the last thing he needed before preparing for the unexpected was a migraine to slow him down. Instead, he found his gaze wondering from Jupiter of the Monkey (still his favorite brand) to the WildKat café. His senses immediately numbed and the bags almost slipped from his grip.

_Mr. H..._

_Was Joshua telling the truth?_

Shiki raised an eyebrow at his behavior, lips parted to say his name but instead tracked his stare to its target. She felt a slight lump ball up in her throat, and she suppressed it with a hard swallow. Shiki didn't want to believe it either, but the closed doors, the lights turned off... All were signs that Mr. H wasn't there. Even when he went out for a quick walk he'd leave the electricity burning, claiming that he'd 'pay the bill when the time came'. Laidback and carefree... Yeah, that's how Mr. H rolled. Sometimes Shiki wished her life could be that easy. Mr. H seemed to live life to the fullest, following his tagline down to the roots.

"One more stop, Neku..." She extracted her gaze, latching it onto the Jupiter of the Monkey sign. "When we're done, we can go back home."

~.~.~.

Explaining this to Neku's mother when she arrived home was not easy...

Beat remembered how flustered Neku got, how embarrassed he was when his mother convicted him of 'locking doors on purpose'. It wasn't until Beat walked in the room where she stopped teasing her son, asking if anyone else was staying the night so she could call their parents if necessary. So Neku began listing off everyone, but when it came down to Joshua, he left the boy out and Beat had jumped in before Rhyme's name could be mentioned. He claimed she was staying with a friend and he didn't want to be stuck by himself since his parents were always out.

How the hell they got away with Neku's mom not finding out about Joshua and Rhyme was unknown to him, but... Hey, whatever happened worked.

Meanwhile, Daisukenojo was plopped down in a seat, forearms rested on thighs as he gazed numbly at clenched hands. He couldn't bear to be in the same room with Rhyme, who had awoken on a few occasions only to fall back into the abyssal of sleep. Her injuries seemed to be doing slightly better, but not enough for him to return home just yet... Gah, his _parents_! Dammit! Beat let out an irritated groan whilst he rooted for his cell phone. After retracting from the last pocket, he opened it up and felt his stomach drop at the message:

_You have three missed calls_.

It was a good thing, so to say, that Beat hadn't given out the exact place as to where he was going. If he had said Neku's, then his parents would've been over in a flash, picking up Rhyme and charging towards the hospital, scold Beat a little (never mind the burn that made comfort on his calf), and all that fun stuff... They'd both be punished for it. Hesitantly, Beat dialed back his mother, perspiration breaking out on his forehead and coating the palms of his hands.

"_Where _were _you?_!"

Yep, just what he expected. He responded quickly, fearing that any sign of hesitance would come off as a lie... Well... "We was out for a walk... Jus' ran into some trouble 'long the way n' we got lost. I took a different route n' we ended up at one o' my friend's... We'll—"

"_What _trouble?_ I told you to _be safe! _Daisukenojo Bito, is it _that hard _to follow a simple instruction?_! _Your father was out looking for you two for_ three hours_! We almost called the cops! You need to keep your damn phone on when you two go out, understand?_"

(Beat cringed at the usage of his full name, this time not having the strength to tell her not to call him that. He suppressed the guilt of his father searching for them all night, probably worried sick just like their mother.)

A heavy sigh came from the other end. "_We're going to talk about this when you get home. I'm too tired to yell right now... Put me on the phone with Rhyme."_

There it was.

He rubbed the back of his head, knocking the beanie off kilter. "Uh, she still sleepin'... We went to bed really late las' night..."

Silence.

"_...Call me when she wakes up. And we're coming to pick you two up so where are you at?_"

Beat swore colorfully, knowing he was going to get penalized severely for this later. "We at Eri's..." Oh, make that: He was going to get penalized severely by his parents, _and _Eri later... Yeah, life just hated him right now. But it was better than saying, 'We at Neku's with his friend Prissy, and Rhyme's hurt because we got attacked by Noise!' Yeah, that sounded just as legit as lying... Whatever; he was going to get in trouble. Since when was that ever new? His parents never appreciated half the things he did, and even after the Game, though he was trying harder, their attention still drew to Rhyme. Beat would bet his whole life to say those first few days back from the UG, the comfort and concern towards him was just there only for Rhyme's sake.

The 'beep' on the other end told him she had hung up, and that was when Beat collapsed back on the couch, head buried in one of the pillows. "Damn, damn, damn, damn..." he cursed, voice muffled.

"Lying to your parents twenty-four seven? I have to say I would be cursing too."

Beat looked up at Joshua, one side surprised he was actually awake, and the other dismissive. He wasn't in the mood for Prissy's attitude. "I jus'..." He sighed, face slamming back into the pillow. "Jus' don't want them yellin' at us n' I don't want them makin' a big deal 'bout what happened. They can't know, and we already have 'nough problems already."

Joshua gave a small shrug, taking a seat in the chair on the other side of the room, legs crossed and arms folded. When it was obvious Beat wasn't going to say anything beyond that, the Composer brought up something that _did _catch his attention:

"Your negativity is attracting a wanton of Noise."

The blonde blinked a few times, urging him to continue by locking eyes with the other.

"If you weren't so angry and frustrated, it would've been possible for you and Rhyme to avoid the fight." He proceeded calmly. And when Beat jumped up, taking on something akin to a fighting stance with blue eyes fierce with a mix of anger, annoyance, and slight hurt, Joshua waited patiently for Beat's rant to end.

"You sayin' it's my fault, yo?_! _Ya think I _wanted _me n' Rhyme to get attacked? Ya think I wanted Phones to risk his life n' you come n' save the day? Ya think that I... that I wanted to see Rhyme get _hurt _because I was angry?_! _I ain't mad at her, yo! It ain't like that! And I ain't worried 'bout my folks flippin' on me 'cause she's asleep! I don' wan' 'em anywhere near her until she back to health!" When he had finished ranting and raving, he was almost out of breath, but the murderous glare never left his face.

"I didn't say any of that," Joshua responded simply. "I'm saying that Noise are attracted to negativity, they can take control of a person if those emotions get out of control. It doesn't necessarily mean you were mad at Rhyme why the Noise decided to attack her instead of you. That may have been because of her Soul. Your energy levels are both incredibly powerful, but the reason why Rhyme stood out more is because she has no negativity. She sees the good in people. The Noise don't want something like that lingering around. They want to rid it, because she could make a decent vessel if it weren't for her belief and love for you."

The words struck Beat harder than it would have if Joshua slapped him. Then again, seeing Prissy hit anyone physically probably wouldn't hurt that much... The only reason why Rhyme wasn't possessed or controlled by Noise, letting the negativity consume her, was because of her love for him? Suddenly, Beat felt very small. He cleared his throat falling back into his seat. He couldn't look at Joshua though. There was something about him... something important that separated him from other humans. And those amethyst-tinted hues could stare right through a person, read them like a book. It was strange, but to Beat, the priss-kid had that type of ability.

"So how ya feelin'...?"

Joshua averted his gaze too, now focused on twirling a lock of platinum blonde around his finger. "Mmm... Better. Eri's not bad of a nurse." Now granted she never treated him medically, but she was a nice person to talk to. She wasn't pessimistic and she wasn't too bubbly... Or, well, she _was _but interacting with her in that type of scenario made her seem calmer and easier to communicate with.

"Oh..." He waited. "She with Rhyme now?"

A nod. "I'll be with her in a few minutes," With that, he stood, changing the 'few minutes' to 'two seconds'. As he walked by, Joshua added, "Maybe I can help with the issue with your parents. Just promise me you'll put a leash on that negativity."

Beat watched the smaller boy leave, feeling gratitude wash over him briefly.

Perhaps Joshua wasn't that bad after all...?

~.~.~.

Sho Minamimoto hated working with other people.

It was always about him – screw others. The world is garbage.

So listening to the Big Bad Composer plant the seeds of his rise to power, all the while conjuring up more Taboo Noise with the simple flip of the pin was boring as _hell_. Who even cared? Just with a little time, Sho would get more power, and then he could subtract this guy from existence. It was a simple process that would take time. Of course, he would need some slight assistance from the pins the boss handed out. At one point, Sho questioned the guy where he got the freaking weapons in the first place. The response was just an arrogant smirk and a, 'When you adapt to the odds and ends of a city, you learn the situations, you listen to conflicts though you may not give a damn, and all that flows back to you, showering you with useful tools'.

"...It'd be lovely if you could dice in a suggestion here." The other man uttered dourly.

A smirk made itself known on Sho's face. "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally. I have one, but perhaps we should get them in the Game first? Those radians have more protection in their little RG than they would in the _fragments _wouldn't they?" He flung his legs over the arm of the chair, feet dangling lazily. "Send someone to place them in the new Game. Then divide them into groups." He chuckled, planting his feet firmly on the floor, standing. "Bring some old reinforcements... We can subtract them from there, Kurai."

Kurai thought this through quickly, lightening up to the idea because it worked. It _would _work. And with that Yoshiya Kiryu running around still alive and active, he was still an inch away from full power. Sure he had booted the little brat off the throne, but he could still feel that last inch of power just out of reach. Kiryu still had it or else he wouldn't have been able to escape Sho like he had earlier.

He grasped hold of another pin, smiling at the picture depicted; a plain skull with the outline of a moon in the back. "Name them and we may just see if they have what it takes...

~.~.~.

**A/N****: **_A very special thanks to those who have been supporting this fanfic (even this 'horrendous' chapter). I appreciate it and hopefully I can thank you by doing a double update: The new chapter 5, and chapter 6._

_In the mean time, if my updates start to slow again, keep an eye on "Tacet Syncopation", which is another 'project fanfic' of mine. In contrast, I take pride in it than I do with this one. Probably because I had more time with Tacet than I did with this._

_Thank you._

**~ Inita**


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